October 1st, 2008
Welcome to the White Space
The Wireless Innovation Alliance (brought to you by Google, Micosoft, Motorola, Public Knowledge, etc.) has produced an excellent video on the benefits of white spaces as part of the Google-led lobbying campaign.
Among the arguments, according to the video:
- Unused spectrum has a large potential for wireless applications.
- TV white spaces would enable new wireless home devices, which would be “truly plug and play. The network would discover new devices and connect them.”
- Communities and ISPS can set up wireless networks without costs of current technologies.
- White spaces would bring Internet access to rural Americans.
- And then there’s the first-responder network. What network? Oh, yeah.
During the recovery after Hurricane Katrina, first responders of all types set up ad hoc wireless access points to facilitate communiction between all the different agencies involved in the life-saving effort. In the future, first responders everywhere can use white space technology as an automatic part of any response to ensure they can always communicate with other services.
The video also takes aim at white space opponents. And who would want to stand in the way of the truly ubiquitous wireless access that white spaces promises?
Groups that have enjoyed free and exclusive rights to the TV spectrum — even though they don’t use most of it — want to stop consumers — you! — from using it.
The FCC is moving forward with testing and once they decide how to bring white spaces to market, wireless everywhere is a lock. So says WIA.
The video doesn’t say who these forces are exactly, but it’s clear it’s broadcasters. It’s also wireless mic vendors, but that’s less clear. In any case, broadcasters should be able to come up with their own video — it’s their medium, after all — and post a response on YouTube. No sign of that, so far.
